Hunter-Gatherer Children's Object Play and Tool Use: An Ethnohistorical Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Learning to use, make, and modify tools is key to our species' success. Researchers have hypothesized that play with objects may have a foundational role in the ontogeny of tool use and, over evolutionary timescales, in cumulative technological innovation. Yet, there are few systematic studies investigating children's interactions with objects outside the post-industrialized West. Here, we survey the ethnohistorical record to uncover cross-cultural trends regarding hunter-gatherer children's use of objects during play and instrumental activities. Our dataset, consisting of 434 observations of children's toys and tools from 54 hunter-gatherer societies, reveals several salient trends: Most objects in our dataset are used in play. Children readily manufacture their own toys, such as dolls an

SUBMITTER: Lew-Levy S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9132165 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature